Water Bombing Helicopter 4 Karhutla Region In South Sumatra, 1 Point Diguyur 132 Thousand Liter Air

Illustration of forest and land fires extinguishing using helicopters or water bombings. (Between-Nova W)

SOUTH SUMATRA - The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) deployed four units of water bombing helicopters or water bombers to extinguish forest and land fires (karhutla) in three districts in South Sumatra Province (Sumsel).

"Four water bombing helicopters are still being pursued to extinguish forest and land fires in several locations, namely in Muara Enim, Musi Banyuasin in Sekayu, and Bayung Lencir. One more blackout in Banyuasin. After the water bombing, the blackout continued today," said Head of Emergency Management of BPBD South Sumatra Sudirman in Palembang, Friday, September 13, confiscated by Antara.

He explained, for the Muara Enim area, the blackout was carried out in the Gelumbang area by the Sikorsky Helicopter UH-60AH/VH-8UH. This helicopter conducts 33 water bombings or spills as much as 132 thousand liters of water to the forest and land fires.

Then, the RA 22700/MI-8AMT helicopter extinguished Bayung Lencir Muba with 14 water bombings or 56 thousand liters of water poured out at the forest and land fires.

Then, the forest and land in Sekayu were still on fire and had occurred in a few days, but had not been successfully extinguished. A total of 23 water bombings or 92 thousand liters of water were poured into the forest and land fires by the Helicoptet UR VBE MI-8 MSB-T.

Meanwhile, the Kamov RA 31109 helicopter extinguished in Rantau Bayur, Banyuasin. The blackout carried out 21 water bombings or 105 thousand liters of water that were shed. The condition is still raging.

"A total of four times with 91 water bombings or 385 thousand liters of water were poured out during yesterday's forest and land fires", said Sudirman.

BPBD also noted that hotspots in South Sumatra have decreased in the last few days. On Thursday, September 12, only four hotspots were observed in LAPAN data. Whereas previously there were only 11 hotspots on September 11, 14 hotspots on September 10, 29 hotspots on September 9, and 33 hotspots on September 8.

In total, this September it reached 847 hotspots. The figure is still below August which reached 1,173 hotspots, but higher than July 2024 as many as 530 hotspots.